Reuse water and urban horticulture: alliance towards more sustainable cities

Abstract

ABSTRACT The need to rethink current models of using water resources in the various sectors of human activity is escalating, as thousands of people in different regions of the world are suffering from clean water shortage for their basic daily needs. In this context, the use of recycled water from treated domestic sewage in agricultural activities is gaining ground. Reuse water can combine environmental protection and high agricultural productivity, especially for simultaneously carrying plant nutrients and minimizing demands for catching "noble" fresh water from streams and water sources for irrigation, currently the highest water consuming activity. The increasing urbanization contributes to generate, but also to foster the treatment and use of wastewater, since urban areas are, at one time, chief water consumers and chief sewage producers. Although there are cultural and sanitary impediments for using recycled water on large scale and the knowledge about possible existing treatments is still limited, a safe alternative to integrate the reuse water into the productive process is its use in irrigation projects involving non edible species. Among these, plants used in floriculture and landscaping can be great allies for the development of wastewater-based urban and peri-urban horticulture, encouraging local development, creating jobs and aiding to environmental protection. We critically discuss these possibilities in this article.